Book Festivals for October 17th through the 20th

Starting October 17 and running through the 20th, the Madison Public Library will be celebrating its Wisconsin Book Festival. There will be book sales, a High School Friday,  a selection of children's activities, and more!

The Boston Book Festival runs from October 17 through the 19th in Copley Square. With over 150 world-class presenters, there will be something for everyone. Wondering what to do with the kids this weekend? There is a Kids & Teens section, which includes a story time, a craft session, meet the medalists, and more!

Enslow Halloween Special: "Zombie Zappers" E-Book for 99 Cents

This Halloween season, Enslow Publishers' "trick or treat" bag contains a special discount incentive for e-book readers: we're offering Book 1 of our four-title "Zombie Zappers" series -- Zombie Camp -- for 99 cents!

Zombie Camp presents author Nadia Higgins' playful 64-page tale of young adventurers encountering the living dead. Her age-appropriate storytelling style embraces language suitable for children while avoiding graphic violence. The book also provides a character development focus as the kids in the story learn a valuable life lesson.

The "Zombie Zappers" fiction series is included in Enslow's new Speeding Star: Keep Boys Reading! imprint. Speeding Star's mission is to publish easy-to-read, high-quality fiction and informational texts suitable for boys from third grade through high school. "Speeding Star" books are currently available in e-book format as well as trade hardcover editions.

Zombie Camp, other Speeding Star titles, and many other Enslow Publishers' K-12 nonfiction books are available via bn.com, amazon.com, and other retail e-book sellers. Act now: Enslow's 99 cent offer for Zombie Camp ends on November 8, 2013!

Are your students and/or children getting enough sleep?

Several studies have shown that students don't get enough sleep. Between sports, homework, other after-school activities, as well as social media sites and games found on tablets/phones/computers, it's harder for students to get that needed sleep.

Want to know what happens when you sleep? Why do you need sleep? What happens when we dream, and do we dream every night? What is REM sleep? A Handy Health Guide to Better Sleep answers all of these questions and more. Written for the middle school student, the book also gives suggestions on good sleeping habits.

This title is available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, your local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. It is available in library, paperback, and eBook versions.

Oct 10 to Oct 13 book festivals

The Southern Festival of Books will take place October 11 through the 13th in Nashville, Tennessee. Free and open to the public, this festival has events for children and young adults, and features many authors from across the nation.

The Iowa City Book Festival will take place from October 10 through the 13th. This is a four-day celebration of books, reading, and writing. The festival includes readings, discussions, and demonstrations.

From October 11 through October 19, Litquake 2013, a literary festival, will take place in San Francisco. More than 800 authors and journalists will appear in more than 160 events over a nine-day period.

If you are in the area and can attend one of these events, enjoy!

Hispanic Heritage Month

Written for the middle school reader, the titles in the Latino Biography Library series cover famous Latinos whose careers range from acting to teachers. These books are also correlated to the Reading and Language sections of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards.

Ellen Ochoa was the first Latina to enter space. Freddie Prinze, Jr., is a successful Latino actor and George Lopez is known for his stand-up comedy. Jaime Escalante was an inspirational math teacher, and inspired inner-city youth. Pablo Neruda was a talented writer who openly denounced the president of Chile and was declared an enemy of his own country. Sandra Cisneros is a writer and activist who encourages women and members of minority groups to achieve their full potential.

All of these books are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore,  enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Congratulations to our latest raffle winner!

Congratulations to the Hancock County Library System in Mississippi for winning our most recent monthly raffle!

Enslow author wins award!

Congratulations to Linda Bozzo, winner of New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) Outstanding Author or Illustrator Award.

Per the NJASL website:  "This award is presented to recognize an author or illustrator who is or was a resident of New Jersey or whose work represents/reflects New Jersey and who has made a notable contribution to the field of literature for children and young adults. This award is presented at the NJASL Fall Conference."

Linda has authored many books for Enslow, most of which are written for the elementary school reader.

Exploring Hands-On Science Projects

The six titles in the Exploring Hands-On Science Projects are written for the middle school reader. These titles have been leveled to the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading, Writing, and Language.

Each book in the series covers a different topic.  Plants discusses the process of photosynthesis, the life cycle of plants, the differences between short day and long day flowers, and more. Sound describes how it's possible to hear and feel sound, how sound travels, and moves, as well as dimensions of space. Solids, Liquids, and Gases investigates the states of matter and the properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Sports introduces an object's center of gravity and the laws governing the collision of objects. Toys and Games discusses gravity, friction, electrical charges, and more. The concepts in Magic include magic through chemistry, magic through light and through sticky water, as well as magic through motion.

Each title is 128 pages and is available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. Copies of these titles are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

Book Festivals October 3-6

If you are in the area of either of these book festivals, please go!

Two book festivals begin tomorrow. The Brattleboro Literary Festival in Vermont runs from October 3 to October 6. Taking place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, the Wordstock Festival is from October 3 to October 6, with the book fair on the 5th and 6th.

According to the website, "Wordstock is a literary art and education non-profit that celebrates and supports writing in the classroom and in the community. Our mission is to use the power of writing to effect positive change in people’s lives."

Attending the upcoming NJASL conference?

Our sales reps, John and Lina Gosden from BigBrain Resources will be there, as will Enslow author Linda Bozzo. Linda will be walking around, so look for her!

The conference will be this Friday and Saturday, October 4 and 5 at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ.

Joke books for upper elementary students

As part of the College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards, the titles in the Funnier Bone Jokes series meet the standards for Reading, Writing, and Language.

This six-title series, written for third and fourth graders, not only includes fun and silly jokes, knock-knock jokes, limericks, tongue twisters, and fun facts for readers to tell each other, it also includes an activity section. In Funny Valentine's Day Jokes, readers are directed in creating their own valentine. Kooky Halloween Jokes instructs students in creating their own knock-knock jokes. Ho-Ho-Ho Christmas Jokes includes a make your own card activity. Corny Thanksgiving Jokes instructs the reader in how to write a limerick. The activity in Brainless Birthday Jokes shows the reader how to make a funny birthday card. The activity in April Fool's Day Jokes helps the reader pull a prank on a friend or family member.

All of the books in the Funner Bone Joke series are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They are available from your preferred vendor, your local independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Family Health and Fitness Day

Handy Health Guides, a 12-book series, is written for the middle school reader. Each 48-page book

contains information about the science behind common illnesses and injuries, and includes an activity.

Some of the topics covered include ADHD, bites and stings, burns and blisters, dyslexia, diabetes, and headaches. Did you know that Orlando Bloom is dyslexic? So is Britney Spears! And George Clooney! President Woodrow Wilson was also dyslexic, and he was a college professor before he became president. It seems that dyslexia is detected more often in boys, but just as many girls have dyslexia. It is thought that boys have a tendency to misbehave in class if they have learning problems, which the teacher will notice, however girls have a tendency to keep to themselves and will not try to attract attention.

Interested in any of these titles? They are all available in library and paperback editions, as well as in single-user and multi-user PDFs and as epubs. You can contact your preferred vendor or local independent bookstore, as well as find the books on enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

More book festivals this weekend

The Orange County Children's Book Festival will take place on Sunday, September 29 in Costa Mesa, California. Rosemary Wells is a featured author.

The Baltimore Book Festival will also take place this weekend, starting on Friday and continuing until Sunday. There is an App for this festival, downloadable on Apple and Android products.

If you are in the area where these festivals are scheduled to take place, please attend!

See Mark Enslow Up Close With Poison Dart Frogs

In light of New York State's and New York City's adoption of Enslow Publishers' Poison Dart Frogs Up Close into the Grade 3 curriculum, company president Mark Enslow recently hit the road in search of these beautiful, but lethal, creatures. Mark was able to get up close with poison dart frogs (as shown in the photograph) during a visit to a Pennsylvania site that humanely showcases benign or deadly amphibians and reptiles.

Right now, young readers can safely up close with poison dart frogs with Enslow's Poison Dart Frogs Up Close. Author Carmen Bredeson's 24-page, Guided Reading Level K work offers on-target informational text, excellent color photographs, and a reader-friendly design. The book is available in paperback direclty from Enslow Publishers for $6.95. A library-bound edition and a multi-user e-book version is also available.

Poison Dart Frogs Up Close is also available from your preferred vendor, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

It's Banned Books Week

For Banned Books Week, Enslow's series Authors of Banned Books contains five titles, each of which contains a brief biography of a banned author.

Some people have contended that the Harry Potter books endorse witchcraft, and that children should not read them. The author, Joan Vos MacDonald, analyzes the books and explores both sides of the argument over censorship.

John Steinbeck's life and several of his most controversial works are analyzed by author Maurene J. Hinds. The history of book censorship is explored to help readers understand both sides of the debate.

Madeleine L'Engle's titles have been banned because they endorse an occult philosophy. Author Marilyn McClellan discusses L'Engle's work, life, and beliefs, while looking at both sides of this censorship debate.

Michelle M. Houle discusses Mark Twain's life and times, analyzes two of his best-known books, and explores both sides of the censorship argument. There is a great deal of controversy over whether his books should be taught in schools because of Twain's language and attitudes in his writing, which reflect a more racist time in the history of this country.

Wendy Hart Beckman discusses the life of Robert Cormier, analyzes three of his books, and helps readers understand both sides of the censorship debate.

Each of these titles include a page of discussion questions, giving the reader ideas for discussing these books with their classmates and peers.

All of these titles are available from your preferred vendor, independent bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Animal Bodies Up Close

Did you know that honeybees have more than two eyes? Or that squirrels use their tails for balance? Or that hippos have their ears on top of their heads? Or that polar bears have the best sense of smell of any animal on Earth? Or that a cow uses its tongue to clean its nose? Or that one sea star has hundreds of feet?

Discover the answers to these and other questions in the Animal Bodies Up Close series, written for the elementary reader. Each title in this series has a words to know section, a learn more section, and index, as well as a guessing game.

All six titles in this series fit Reading and Language Common Core standards, and are available in library, paperback, eBook, and book/eBook combos. They are available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, your local independent bookstore, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

Several book festivals taking place this weekend

There are several book festivals taking place this upcoming weekend.

The South Dakota Festival of Books takes place September 20-22. There is an app available which can be found on the website. There are lots of events taking place, some of which require tickets. Some of these ticketed events are free. There will be authors there as well.

The Library of Congress National Book Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday on the National Mall. There is a children's and teens pavilion as well.

The Brooklyn Book Festival is taking place this weekend, with a large celebration on September 22 at Brooklyn Borough Hall. This festival also has an associated app available for download from the website. There are youth and children events taking place as well.

If you are in the area of any of these festivals, make sure to attend!

Looking for a craft book for Halloween?

978-0-7660-3730-4 Library
978-0-7660-3731-1 Paperback

Haunted House Adventure Crafts is a 32 page book written for upper elementary readers. Not only does this title give instructions on creating crafts, it also has a feature about creating your own story using those crafts.

Want to make a coffin? How about a mummy or a skeleton? How about a haunted house or Frankenstein? Following step-by-step instructions and using easily found materials, if readers are not interested in creating their own story, they can read the scary story included at the end of the book.

This title is available from enslow.com, your preferred vendor, local independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Biographies about Inventors

For STEM Friday, we are going to focus on two series for the upper elementary/lower middle school reader. Both series focus on inventors.


Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas, a new series for 2013 and written for the upper elementary reader, takes the reader on a journey of learning how different inventions were made and created. One of the books in this series is about Stephanie Kwolek, the woman behind the creation of a fiber, made from petroleum and other products, that was eventually used in bullet-resistant vests.

Other titles in this series focus on Theodore H. Maiman, Les Paul, George Ferris, Philo T. Farnsworth, James Naismith, and Vivien Thomas. All of these titles are 48 pages in length, and are available in library, paperback, ePUB, single-user PDF, and multi-user PDF formats.



The Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies series is written for the lower middle school reader. This series also covers six inventors: Madam C. J. Walker, Igor Sikorsky, Thomas H. Gallaudet, W. K. Kellogg, Samuel Colt, and Ralph Baer. Each book is 32 pages in length, and is available in a library edition.

Titles from both of these series are available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, local independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Book Festival on September 14

The Westchester Multicultural Children's Book Festival will be held on Saturday, from 11 am to 4 pm at the White Plains Public Library.

This is the second year of the festival, and it will feature both children's and YA authors.